Karlsruhe, Germany
Karlsruhe is a city of 283,799 people in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, founded in June 17, 1715.
Why visit Karlsruhe
Townapedia lists 189 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 253 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Universum City, Schauburg, Badisches Landesmuseum and Orangerie.
Weather in Karlsruhe
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe is the third-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. It is also a former capital of Baden, a historic region named after Hohenbaden Castle in the city of Baden-Baden. Located on the right bank of the Rhine (Upper Rhine) near the French border, between the Mannheim-Ludwigshafen conurbation to the north and Strasbourg to the south, Karlsruhe is Germany's legal center, being home to the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Public Prosecutor General.
From the Wikipedia article Karlsruhe (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Karlsruhe on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do11
Schauburg
Cinema and theater · 0.7 km
16 Marienstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Fr 14:30-21:20; Su 09:30-21:20; Sa 12:30-21:20
Tierpark Oberwald
Zoo and aquarium · 2.5 km
Wildlife park in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Waldbronn
Monument and historic site · 10.8 km
Municipality in Karlsruhe county in Germany
Museums and landmarks189
Stadtmuseum
Museum · 0.7 km
Die Aufgabe des Stadtmuseums ist es, das materielle Erbe der Vergangenheit und der Gegenwart der Stadt Karlsruhe zu dokumentieren und zu...
10 Karlstraße, Karlsruhe
Th 10:00-19:00; Tu, Fr, Su 10:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-14:00
Museum für Literatur am Oberrhein
Museum · 0.7 km
10 Karlstraße, Karlsruhe
Th 10:00-19:00; Tu, Fr, Su 10:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-14:00
Amalienschlösschen
Monument and historic site
Treppenaufgang und verbliebene Teile des Fundaments (Hauptgebäude)
24/7
Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde
Museum
13 Erbprinzenstraße, Karlsruhe
Tu-Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa, Su, PH 10:00-18:00
Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Museum · 0.6 km
Museum in Karlsruhe, Germany
2 Hans-Thoma-Straße, Karlsruhe
off
Karlsruhe Palace
Monument and historic site
1 Schlossbezirk, Karlsruhe
Künstlerhaus Karlsruhe BBK
Museum · 0.7 km
47 Am Künstlerhaus, Karlsruhe
Tu-Fr 17:00-19:00; Sa-Su 14:00-18:00; PH off
177 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Restaurants and cafes253
Vogelbräu Karlsruhe
Restaurant · Regional · 0.7 km
50 Kapellenstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Th 11:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su,PH 10:00-24:00
Badische Backstub'
Bakery · Regional
18 Kaiserstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Fr 05:30-17:30; Sa 07:00-13:00; PH,Su 08:00-13:00
Portale 50
Restaurant · Italian
Not (only) typical italian but rather elevated cuisine
4-12 Erbprinzenstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Sa 12:00-14:00,18:00-22:00; Su off
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Akropolis
Restaurant · Greek · 0.6 km
18 Baumeisterstraße, Karlsruhe
Tu-Su 11:30-14:30,17:00-22:30; Mo 17:00-22:30
Alex
Restaurant · Burger · 0.8 km
217 Kaiserstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Th 07:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-01:00; Su,PH 09:00-24:00
Ali Baba
Restaurant · Arab
25 Kreuzstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo,Tu,Th-Sa 17:00-23:00; We 12:00-14:00,17:00-23:00; Su off
Aposto
Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 km
57 Waldstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Th 09:30-01:00, Fr,Sa 09:30-02:00, Su 09:30-01:00
Berry Su
Cafe · Coffee Shop
124 Kaiserstraße, Karlsruhe
Mo-Fr 09:00-21:00; Sa 09:30-21:00; Su, PH 12:00-20:00
241 more on the map.
History
According to legend, the name Karlsruhe, which translates as "Charles' repose" or "Charles' peace", was given to the new city after a hunting trip when Margrave Charles III William of Baden-Durlach woke from a dream in which he dreamt of founding his new city. A variation of this story claims that he built the new palace to find peace from his wife.
Charles William founded the city on 17 June 1715 after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The founding of the city is closely linked to the construction of the palace. Karlsruhe became the capital of Baden-Durlach, and, in 1771, of the united Baden until 1945. Built in 1822, the Ständehaus was the first parliament building in a German state. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution of 1848, a republican government was elected there.
Karlsruhe was visited by Thomas Jefferson during his time as the American envoy to France; when Pierre Charles L'Enfant was planning the layout of Washington, D.C., Jefferson passed to him maps of 12 European towns to consult, one of which was a sketch he had made of Karlsruhe during his visit.
In 1860, the first-ever international professional convention of chemists, the Karlsruhe Congress, was held in the city.
In 1907 the town was site of the Hau Riot where large crowds caused disturbance during the trial of murderer Carl Hau.
From the History section of Karlsruhe on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship9
Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día hispana de Karlsruhe
Church · Seventh Day Adventist
96 Kriegsstraße, Karlsruhe
Shopping63
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries30
Healthcare13
Apotheke am Nymphengarten
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 km
29 Kriegsstraße, Karlsruhe
Map of Karlsruhe
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Airport Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 35 km away.
- Schlossgartenbahn map
- Ettlingen 8 km south, about 8 min by car
- Rheinstetten 8 km southwest, about 8 min by car
- Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen 9 km north, about 9 min by car
- Weingarten 10 km northeast, about 10 min by car
- Wörth am Rhein 11 km northwest, about 11 min by car
- Hagenbach 11 km west, about 11 min by car
- Neuburg 12 km west, about 12 min by car
- Pforzheim 26 km southeast, about 26 min by car
- Stuttgart 62 km southeast, about 1 h by car
- Reutlingen 82 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Marktplatz Karlsruhe - Pyramide - Rathaus 20220705 101753, Sitacuisses, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Karlsruher Stadtgeburtstag 2015, Schaufensterdekoration Modehaus Schöpf - panoramio, Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe, Geschäfte in der Kaiserstraße, Bild 3, Dguendel, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe 2015 U-Bahn Baustelle am Marktplatz - panoramio (3), Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe, Rathaus und Pyramide, Dguendel, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe 2015 U-Bahn Baustelle am Marktplatz - panoramio (1), Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Chanukka Karlsruhe-2016 Mentrup-Mendelson, Michael Kauffmann, CC BY 3.0 de
- Karlsruhe 2015 U-Bahn Baustelle am Marktplatz - panoramio (2), Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe Innenstadt 2015 - Straßenbahnhaltestelle Marktplatz - panoramio, Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz Pyramide 1983 P1220382, Robert Hösle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe tram 2017 6, Smiley.toerist, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe Zweisystemstraßenbahn, kaffeeeinstein, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Karlsruhe 2015 U-Bahn Baustelle am Marktplatz - panoramio (11), Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz tram 2001-05-31 (7765284506), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz - panoramio, 2AgentSmith2, CC BY 3.0
- Stadtbahn Karlsruhe - 7702599340, hrs51, CC BY 2.0
- Marktplatz Karlsruhe - Pyramide - Rathaus 20220705 101957-8, Sitacuisses, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz Tramparade zur 1. Vorstellung des neuen Stadtbahnwagens 1983 P1220400, Robert Hösle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz Stadtkirche Historischer Straßenbahnwagen P1220398, Robert Hösle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz Historischer Straßenbahnwagen 14 P1220395, Robert Hösle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz Historischer Straßenbahnwagen P1220399, Robert Hösle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe 2015 U-Bahn Baustelle am Marktplatz - panoramio (10), Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe Rathaus Pyramide 20220705 102006-2, Sitacuisses, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Berlin in Karlsruhe (165068444), kaffeeeinstein from Berlin, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Karlsruhe Marktplatz 2015, Kunstobjekt an der U-Bahn Baustelle - panoramio, Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Karlsruhe 2015 U-Bahn Baustelle am Marktplatz - panoramio (9), Baden de, CC BY 3.0
- Tram at Karlsruhe Marktplatz - geo.hlipp.de - 4606, Dr Neil Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Two male white-lipped deer, Marcus Müller, CC BY 4.0
- Waldbronn-Reichenbach-St Wendelin-118-suedost-2026-gje, Gerd Eichmann, CC BY 4.0
- 20130605Schloss Karlsruhe05, AnRo0002, CC0
- KarlsruherKunsthalle, Armerdietrich, Public domain
- Zoo de Karlsruhe - Entrée, Root66, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kunste I, Martin Dürrschnabel, Public domain
- Karlsruhe schloss gottesau, Photograph Tobias Helfrich, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karlsruhe Uni Hauptgebaeude, AlterVista at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Portal-HKA-verhuellt2021, HsKAgoem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Colonelkarlsruhe, Cindybeau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Panorama Botanischer Garten Karlsruhe, Pero.s, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 001 BLB 016 Fassade, Badische Landesbibliothek, Stabsstelle Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Badischer Kunstverein, Voskos, CC BY 3.0
- Ettlinger Tor Karlsruhe, Voskos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karlsruher Staendehaus II, Kamera: Sony DSC F717, bearbeitet mit Autostitch und Photoshop Elements 2.0., CC BY-SA 2.5
- KantgymnasiumKarlsruhe, Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Europaplatz Karlsruhe Postgalerie, Unknown author, Public domain
- Schauburg Karlsruhe IMGP4634, Sitacuisses, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Landappbw 91258 1819 Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Manolo, CC0
- Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe HS, Fotografiert von Martin Dürrschnabel , Bearbeitet von Hsuepfle, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Prinz-Max-Palais Karlsruhe, Günter Josef Radig, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Aerial image of the Karlsruhe Schlossgarten (view from the northeast), Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karlsruhe Universum-City-Kinos, Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0
- 2026-04-16 Z5-4907 Achim-Lammerts Karlsruhe Simeonkirche, Achim Lammerts (Syntaxys), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Baden-Württemberg Karlsruhe 04, Calips, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karlsruher Pyramide, Martin Dürrschnabel , enhanced by de:Benutzer:Sitacuisses, Public domain
- Karlsruhe Stadtkirche 02, Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0
- Kleine Kirche Karlsruhe Februar 2012, 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karlsruhe - Sankt Stephan - Bild 2, S. Finner at German Wikipedia ( Original text: Siddhartha Finner (Autor von www.badischewanderungen.de) ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Badisches Staatstheater Gebäude 2022 - Gesamtansicht 2, KAffee76133, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe 20220831 162304, Sitacuisses, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Karlsruhe Palace (7889331158), Grzegorz Jereczek from Gdańsk, Poland, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nymphengarten Karlsruhe 20220730 152258, Sitacuisses, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Street-level photo, MirDochEga1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, morwas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, nakaner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jopparn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, polyglot, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, pic_nick, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, nakaner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ueckorium, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, nakaner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, morwas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, polyglot, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, nakaner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, morwas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, charlie_s60, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, marwe, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, polyglot, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, nakaner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, morwas, CC BY-SA 4.0
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